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30 July 2010

Answer to Question #3284 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Microwaves, Radar, and Radiofrequency — Microwaves and Radiofrequency

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

I work in a veterinary hospital. A microwave was placed in the operating room to heat fluid bags. Is this safe to use when a patient is under anesthesia of oxygen and isoflurane or sevoflurane?

A microwave oven is designed to operate inside a metal enclosure. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rules about how much a microwave oven can leak through the door. RF (radiofrequency) leakage in an operating room can usually raise two concerns; one is the RF safety issues. The FDA limit protects this safety aspect as long as no one directly leans on the oven when it is on. The second is RF interference with other electronic instruments used in the room. This is also distance dependent. Shielding or increasing distance between the oven and the equipment solves the problem easily. The one raised in your question is on a possible microwave interaction effect with oxygen and other gases. I see no reason to worry about radiofrequency safety more than electrical safety in an operating room.

C-K. Chou, PhD

Answer posted on 16 December 2003. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.